Leopold Van Asten made the Dutch proud by winning the Massimo Dutti Trophy, of the CSI5* -W A Coruña, with obstacles of 1.55 meters. This familiar winning face at Casas Novas, who in 2014 won the Grand Prix in both the summer and winter edition, rode VDL Groep Miss Untouchable in the last competition of the evening. An impeccable and speedy run of 67.44 seconds served Van Asten his victory. What a great end to the year for the Dutchman, who was second in the Grand Prix of the CSI4 * of Maastricht last November. This victory also allows him to qualify for the Longines FEI World Cup Grand Prix – CaixaBank Trophy – on Sunday at 5 p.m.
In second place, Olivier Robert who for the second time the same afternoon, found the center stage out of his reach. He had previously jumped the circuit in 67.53 seconds with Vivaldi des Meneaux. The Frenchman, however, has made an impressive start, taking place in two podiums in the two top-level events. And finally, Alberto Zorzi, a usual in this winter contest, climbed to the third place, which brought Italy to this 39th edition of the equestrian event of Coruña. His time, 67.73 seconds with Cinsey.
The day ended with the stands full at the indoor arena, with hundreds of people who enjoyed both the competition and the Santi Serra’s show, who put the finishing touch to a fabulous start of the Casas Novas event.
British Recital At The NH Collection Trophy
In the first of the 5 * events of the day, the NH Collection Trophy, the British anthem rang twice. Robert Whitaker could be proud of his performance in the last course of this competition, in which he risked to overcome his compatriot Guy Williams, who had previously beaten Olivier Robert’s time. The three managed to get off the minute, but Whitaker and Dekato were the best. And that, despite the fact that rider and horse have only been together for a couple of months. His time was 58.69 seconds, that of Williams with Rouge de Ravel 59.18 and that of Robert, who held the classification for a long time, 59.27 on the back of Eros.
At the start of the competition, the Inaugural Trophy, the young rider Leo Medal Rionda was the best of the pairs on the arena. At 16, the Spaniard is achieving very good results with the Mare Eyre de Saro. He was accompanied on the podium by Alejandro Álvarez Gutiérrez, with Califa Sa, both his first time in Casas Novas, and Alejandro Entrecanales, with Ugo du Plessis.
In addition, Jesús Garmendia was reunited with the triumph in La Coruña in the Estrella Galicia Trophy, also of the 2 * contest. The Basque rider is an old acquaintance of this event, since for now he is the only Spaniard who has won the Longines Grand Prix and that was a decade ago, also in the winter edition. Garmendia prevented Jacobo Fontán, winner of GP2 * last summer, to taste again the triumph.
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